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Sidney Deener Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-3

383^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 22% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Sidney Deener Elementary School in Searcy, AR, serves 421 students from Pre-K through 3rd grade within the Searcy School District, a district rated 3 stars and ranked 77th in the state. However, the school itself currently holds a 1-star rating, ranking 383rd out of 491 elementary schools in Arkansas for the 2025-2026 school year. A significant challenge is that 78.38% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a rate much higher than nearby Westside Elementary School (46.23%) and McRae Elementary School (60.45%), both also in the Searcy district.

Academically, Sidney Deener’s proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Reading, and Math are substantially below both the district and state averages. For example, only 29.9% of students are proficient in Math, compared to 51.2% for the district and 44.1% for the state. A notable exception is 3rd-grade Science, where 41.3% of students are proficient—closer to the state average of 45.4%. The school’s ranking has been volatile, dropping sharply from 156th in 2020-2021 to 397th in 2024-2025, though 2025-2026 scores show a modest recovery. Interestingly, Sidney Deener spends $13,397 per student, more than Westside’s $11,772, yet Westside is a 5-star school ranked 49th in the state, highlighting that funding alone hasn’t closed the achievement gap.

Compared to other high-poverty schools in the area, Sidney Deener faces similar struggles. Judsonia Elementary School (77.2% free/reduced lunch) and Kensett Elementary School (90.14%) also have low test scores. However, White County Central Elementary School, despite a 70.36% poverty rate, is a 4-star school with strong scores (52.1% in ELA), proving that high poverty doesn’t have to limit success. Sidney Deener’s student-teacher ratio of 20.4:1 is the highest among nearby schools, which may hinder the individualized attention needed to support its students.

421

Students ?

20.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,397

Per pupil spending ?

78.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

163 Cloverdale
Searcy, AR 72143

(501) 268-3850

District: Searcy School District

Students who attend Sidney Deener Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ahlf Junior High School
	Southwest Middle School
High:	Searcy High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.5%

African American:

20.4%

Two or more races:

13.3%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare Sidney Deener Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 63rd percentile in 2016 → 22nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (33% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 41 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg48%

Arkansas avg42%

383^rd of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 22%▼ down 41 pts since 2016

From top 37% (2016) to bottom 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Elementary Schools in the Searcy School District

77^th of 251Searcy School District among Arkansas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arkansas percentile	Rating
2026	28.8	383 of 491	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.5	397 of 495	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	47.7	271 of 497	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.3	357 of 492	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	59.9	208 of 487	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.6	156 of 496	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.5	250 of 488	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.2	226 of 480	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.8	213 of 485	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.9	185 of 494	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	76.5	88 of 471	81.3%	★★★★☆
2010	78.5	70 of 457	84.7%	★★★★☆
2009	81.0	55 of 445	87.6%	★★★★☆
2008	74.7	92 of 439	79.0%	★★★★☆
2007	84.3	35 of 440	92.0%	★★★★★
2006	85.9	29 of 402	92.8%	★★★★★
2005	92.7	9 of 411	97.8%	★★★★★

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Science41%-3 vs state

English Language Arts31%-9 vs state

Mathematics30%-14 vs state

Reading30%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sidney Deener Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2026)					ATLAS Reading (2026)					ATLAS Mathematics (2026)					ATLAS Science (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sidney Deener Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	163 Cloverdale	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 268-3850	421	21	20.4	78.4%	217 (51.5%)	86 (20.4%)	52 (12.4%)	10 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (13.3%)	28.8	383^rd of 491 public elementary schools	22.0%		23.5	397^th of 495 public elementary schools	19.8%	14	30.7				30.7	29.5				29.5	29.9				29.9	41.3				41.3	$13,397	$2,176	$11,221
McRae Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	609 W McRae	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 268-3936	445	24	18.7	60.4%	323 (72.6%)	28 (6.3%)	50 (11.2%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.0%)	63.4	183^rd of 491 public elementary schools	62.7%		57	222^nd of 495 public elementary schools	55.2%	39	45.9				45.9	43.9				43.9	56.6				56.6	47.5				47.5	$13,128	$2,338	$10,789
Kensett Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	701 W Dandridge St	Kensett	72082	White County	Riverview School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 742-3221	294	19	15.1	90.1%	162 (55.1%)	46 (15.6%)	55 (18.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.9%)								(n/a)																					$13,494	$2,501	$10,994
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	512 Country Club Rd	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 268-0111	398	21	19.3	46.2%	304 (76.4%)	22 (5.5%)	36 (9.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.3%)	70.9	138^th of 491 public elementary schools	71.9%		88.2	49^th of 495 public elementary schools	90.1%	89	48.7				48.7	48.7				48.7	50.4				50.4	59.1				59.1	$11,772	$1,132	$10,641
Judsonia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	916 Judson Ave	Judsonia	72081	White County	Riverview School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 729-5196	307	20	15.4	77.2%	245 (79.8%)	7 (2.3%)	35 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.2%)	36.7	334^th of 491 public elementary schools	32.0%		37.8	324^th of 495 public elementary schools	34.5%	10	22.1	39.4	22.5	32.5	29.7	28.8	43.4	22.5	40.3	34.2	40.7	42.1	33.3	35.1	37.7	32.2	46.0	23.6	46.8	37.7	$13,533	$2,245	$11,288
White County Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3259 Hwy 157	Judsonia	72081	White County	White County Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 729-4292	560	38	14.5	70.4%	516 (92.1%)	2 (0.4%)	32 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	72	132^nd of 491 public elementary schools	73.1%		74.1	116^th of 495 public elementary schools	76.6%	16	27.4	39.4	69.3	69.9	52.1	29.1	43.3	67.8	71.2	53.4	35.5	61.2	80.6	69.9	62.1	46.8	44.8	56.4	63.1	53.1	$11,413	$1,314	$10,099
H.L. Lubker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	103 West Park	Bald Knob	72010	White County	Bald Knob School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 724-3714	517	34	15.2	66.3%	461 (89.2%)	12 (2.3%)	25 (4.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.5%)	41.8	299^th of 491 public elementary schools	39.1%		48.3	267^th of 495 public elementary schools	46.1%	32	36.1	38.8	31.3		35.2	35.0	35.8	31.3		33.9	40.9	61.2	36.6		45.2	43.3	44.7	28.0		38.4	$11,544	$2,047	$9,497
Pangburn Elementary School	Public	K-6	1100 Short St	Pangburn	72121	White County	Pangburn School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 728-4230	401	28	14.4	64.8%	381 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	71.9	133^rd of 491 public elementary schools	72.9%		71.6	127^th of 495 public elementary schools	74.3%	6	56.8	43.4	42.8	43.9	46.7	54.9	43.3	44.7	43.9	46.7	58.8	47.1	48.2	63.4	53.7	60.8	54.7	57.2	58.6	57.7	$12,688	$1,819	$10,869
Beebe Early Childhood	Public	K-1	1201 W Center St	Beebe	72012	White County	Beebe School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 882-5463	439	30	14.4	64.5%	348 (79.3%)	19 (4.3%)	27 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (9.8%)								(n/a)																					$10,012	$1,084	$8,928
Beebe Elementary School	Public	2-4	1201 W Center St	Beebe	72012	White County	Beebe School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 882-5463	904	49	18.4	63.7%	764 (84.5%)	37 (4.1%)	45 (5.0%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (5.9%)	55.3	228^th of 491 public elementary schools	53.6%		58.7	205^th of 495 public elementary schools	58.6%	23	31.7	45.3			38.7	32.9	46.4			39.9	48.5	57.9			53.3	46.7	45.3			45.9	$11,373	$1,346	$10,028

Frequently Asked Questions about Sidney Deener Elementary School

What district is Sidney Deener Elementary School in?

Searcy School District

Is Sidney Deener Elementary School a good school?

Sidney Deener Elementary School ranks in the bottom 22.0% of Arkansas elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Sidney Deener Elementary School?

Students at Sidney Deener Elementary School are 52% White, 20% African American, 13% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Sidney Deener Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 421 students attended Sidney Deener Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Sidney Deener Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Sidney Deener Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ahlf Junior High School
Middle : Southwest Middle School
High : Searcy High School

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresNewJul 13, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2019–20 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 dropout ratesJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.